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Remembering avid collector, hobby ambassador Jeff Baker
The last time I saw collector and friend Jeff Baker, he was right where I expected him to be — hanging out at the TRISTAR Autograph Pavilion at the 43rd annual National Sports Collectors Convention in Chicago.
An avid sports memorabilia and autograph collector and the host of the popular TTMCast podcast, Jeff sadly passed away on Dec. 2 at age 58.
At The National in July, I was making one of my daily stops at the autograph pavilion to check out which sports legends were signing and what kind of crowds they were attracting when I ran into Jeff, who was hanging out near the front of the pavilion watching his heroes sign and plotting who he was going to go after next.
He showed me one of his trademark binders filled with cards he had already gotten signed at the show, as well as ones he hoped to get signatures on next. And, of course, he was sporting a big smile. I never saw Jeff when he wasn’t smiling and filled with passion and enthusiasm for collecting sports memorabilia and chasing autographs.
Jeff was one of the foremost autograph collectors in the hobby, which is what led him to start his TTM (Through The Mail) podcast. He was a master at compiling the mailing addresses for former athletes and sending off cards and other memorabilia to be signed. He was patient, persistent and dedicated to his mission, and he had an incredibly high success rate, sometimes acquiring coveted autographs months and even years after starting his pursuit.
Jeff was also an extremely knowledgeable collector and a great ambassador for the sports collectibles hobby.
Shortly after joining Sports Collectors Digest in March 2021, one of the first collectors and hobbyist I heard from was Jeff, who contacted me about appearing as a guest on his show. As a longtime sportswriter and magazine editor who had collected sports cards as a kid but was new to the modern hobby, I was grateful for his invitation, honored to be on his show, and glad to have a new colleague and cohort I could learn from and share ideas with.
I appeared on Jeff’s show several times over the next two years, with our last interview in September focusing on the 50th anniversary of SCD, which had become a partner with Jeff’s TTM podcast as we shared each other’s content and helped promote the two platforms.
Jeff was also a contributor for SCD, penning features on fellow autograph collector Kevin Keating and longtime sports memorabilia dealer Les Wolff. His last piece offered tips for navigating The National, a venue and event he knew well.
An avid sports fan who followed his beloved Red Sox and other Boston sports teams, he also was a devoted family man, often sharing his sports adventures with Paula, his wife of 35 years, his son, Andrew, and daughter, Ruthie. Jeff and Andrew shared the 2015 Dustin Pedroia Heart League Award for their work with the Muscular Dystrophy Association and he and Ruthie co-authored a children’s book in 2010 and donated the proceeds to support the cause.
Jeff suffered from many health problems during his final years, forcing him to retire early. But he made the most of his circumstances, pouring his heart and soul into his collecting passion.
“Instead of letting this bring him down, Jeff saw an opportunity to pursue his real passions in life,” his family wrote on his Instagram account.
Jeff was a familiar face at many big card shows, not only chasing cards and autographs but interviewing collectors and hobby insiders for his podcast. If you spent much time at The National and other big shows, you would likely run into Jeff multiple times a day. Despite being confined to a mobile scooter, he zipped around the facility and covered more ground than almost anyone.
Jeff was as passionate and dedicated to the hobby as any collector I have ever met. His devotion and contributions will be sorely missed by the sports collectibles community.
Jeff’s daughter, Ruthie, plans to host a memorial episode of the TTM podcast soon. Well wishes may be sent to TTMCast@yahoo.com and donations can be made in Jeff’s name to the Red Sox Foundation.
— Jeff Owens is the editor of Sports Collectors Digest. You can reach him at jowens@aimmedia.com.
Jeff Owens is the editor of SCD.
